The invention relates to an improved apparatus and system for feeding fibers to a carding machine or the like.
Devices for feeding a web of uniform density and thickness to a card are commonly referred to as webformers. In modern textile processing plants, fibers are delivered to the webformers, entrained in a stream of air. The air and entering fibers are separated from one another usually in the webformer. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,750,235 to Wise, 4,009,803 and 4,154,485 to Lytton et al and 3,414,330 to Trutzschler, the background content of all of which is incorporated hereinto by reference. Webformers have been known to be equipped at their top with reserve chambers which connect to the underside of the common duct which delivers the air-entrained fibers. In such reserve chambers, there is one wall which has perforations, and in the past solid plates have been employed in abutment with the perforated walls of the reserve chambers to control the amount of air allowed to escape through those perforated walls. However, it has been discovered that such control is not sufficient for a complete system, but that such can only be controlled properly if the reserve chambers are equipped with baffle or air deflector plates which are or can be spaced from the perforated wall of the reserve chamber. Perferably, such deflector plates are adjustable from a position in abutment with the perforated wall of the reserve chamber whereby no air can be exuded through the hole thereof, to a position horizonatally removed therefrom. Furthermore, such air deflector plates are preferably pivotable about a horizontal axis so that the top and bottom thereof can be tilted toward and away from the perforated wall. Such an arrangement provides the advantages of being able to control each of the webforming reserve chambers more precisely to cause a greater uniformity in the amount of fibers stored therein and to prevent choke-downs therein. In the line between the first webformer in a series and the fan which blows the air entrained fibers down the line is a pressure sensor which senses when the air pressure in the line becomes too great because all of the reserve chambers are full of fibers, and operates to turn off the fiber supply. Consequently, the reserve chambers are not overfilled, nor are there any fibers which are transported beyond the last webformer in the series.